Book editor and manuscript consultant

Every writer needs a good editor. Reach out if you’d like to partner with me to make your manuscript the best it can be. I work in fiction and nonfiction and will happily dig in with you to understand the unique strengths of your story, essay, or book and what you can do to make the entire piece shine.

“I hit a wall with my ending and simply couldn’t stick the landing. After working with Isla for a developmental edit, the ending came together so clearly, I’m not sure how I missed it. She didn’t just point out what wasn’t working; she helped me find the emotional resonance the final scene lacked. I finally feel confident sending this manuscript out into the world.” – Natasha Oliver, Author of The Evolved Ones Trilogy

As a seasoned editor with an MFA in creative writing, I can help you polish your fiction or creative nonfiction manuscript in any (or all) of the following ways:

Story session

We can meet virtually to talk through your ideas either based on materials you send me in advance or simply the conversation. This high level discussion can help crystallize your understanding of your project and whether a book editor is right for you right now.

Developmental editing

If you’re already working on a book or story but it’s stuck, this might be the path for you. I can review all or part of your manuscript and help you:

• Identify themes you can develop
• Reconsider structure
• Spot overarching issues you might have missed

This is the most in-depth stage of book editing, but it’s also the most critical. You want someone who is going to read deeply into what you want to achieve and compare that with what’s on the page. It’s also my favorite part of the process and I’d love to dig into your work if you are ready for this.

Copy editing

This is for the book or story that’s really almost there but you need that last set of eyes. It’s when you need someone to spot the places where you’ve put two spaces after a period or left in an unfortunate typo that spell check cannot see. If you’re at this stage, I can do a general copy edit of your work or refer you to a trusted list of copy editors who specialize in various style guides.

What working with me looks like

Contact me using the form below if you’re interested in any of the above and we can discuss samples projects, timelines, hourly rates, and what you’re looking for from an editor right now. Please note that if you are working with Kirkus, I cannot consult on your project as it would present a conflict of interest.

Once you’ve reached out, I will request a sample of your work to see if we’re a good fit (this is not necessary for a story session, but it can help). I will then schedule a virtual meeting with you or a follow up via email (whichever you prefer) to discuss what you are looking for from an editor, how I can help, and what the timeline and deliverables will be (I can present a letter summarizing overarching suggestions, a fully edited manuscript with tracked changes and comments, or both).

Managing Editor and corporate content editing services

I made my living strategizing, writing, organizing, and editing corporate content for over a decade. I still do this for select clients. If you’re interested to learn more, please check out my portfolio and contact me if your needs meet my strengths: creativity and efficiency.

Editing FAQs

What should I look for in an editor?

The editor/writer relationship is very important. You should look for someone you trust that you feel like you communicate well with, but also your editor should be someone who challenges you to create your best work. Look for how they give feedback and check in with yourself about whether their style will help you in your process. They should also be good at what they do, so look for testimonials and feel free to check references.

How much does editing cost?

The cost of editing varies widely depending on what type of editing you are looking for (developmental or copy editing), whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, how big your project is, and what kind of feedback you are looking for (a summary letter is a lot less involved than a fully marked up manuscript). You should feel comfortable asking a potential editor about their rates based on the details that are specific to your project.

What’s the difference between developmental and copy editing?

Developmental editing is a larger look at the structure of a manuscript: Are the right pieces there? Are they in the right place? Are there themes or characters that can be developed or that should be consolidated for clarity? This is good to do when you are stuck or think you are done.

Copy editing is the detailed final polish of a manuscript where someone is checking your spelling, punctuation, consistency, and other fine details. Copy edits should be done on a project that you know is done and you want it to be very, very clean before presenting to an agent or even self-publishing.

In both cases, your editor will probably call out things they see from the other “side,” but generally developmental edits happen earlier in a project than copy edits.